Touch-me-not vinyl shower liner

ABSTRACT

To keep the shower liner against the tub wall I have installed rows of weights at the bottom of the liner. These weights create tension in the liner and minimize movement.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I have always enjoyed taking a sit-down bath in a standard tub. As a result of aging and advancing Parkinson's disease this method of bathing has become difficult. Showering became my next choice.

I immediately encountered the annoyance of the vinyl liner blowing against my lower body. I spoke with my husband about this problem and he said he had the same problem with the liner but he just ignored the nusiance. I told him that I could not ignore the problem and asked him for help in solving this annoyance. He suggested that I lay the liner over the flat platform of the tub and place bottles of Shampoo and Bubble Bath on the liner to hold it in place. This solution worked but I soon grew weary of the extra activity required with each shower.

Once again I approached my husband with this problem. I told him I wanted us to find a more simple, permanent solution to the blowing shower liner. He realized I was serious about the situation and we started to discuss what we could do to stablize the blowing shower liner. My first idea was to attach marbles to the bottom of the liner to help hold it straight down during the showering period. My husband came up with the idea of using small plastic bags of sand and attaching them to the bottom of the liner. Both ideas would hold the liner in tension but neither seemed to be an acceptable solution.

One day I was shopping in the local hardware store and I came upon a display of steel washers in various sizes. They were flat and heavy. I mentioned using these washers on the vinyl liner to my husband and he was immediately impressed with the idea. We purchased an assortment of steel washers and duct tape.

Through experimentation with this idea of creating a weighted condition at the bottom area of the vinyl shower liner we discovered that the flat steel washers would negate the blowing action of the liner if properly spaced on the bottom of the liner.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

I was so annoyed by the vinyl shower liner blowing against me while showering that I became determined to solve this problem. I bugged my husband about the issue until he had to join me in my quest of a solution. When I brought up the idea of using flat steel washers he became excited about this simple solution for stablizing the blowing shower liner. We focused on the nine inch by six foot area at the bottom of the liner. By creating an acceptable weighted condition using steel washers in this area we stopped the blowing action of the shower liner.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a standard Vinyl Shower Liner that has been on the market for decades. Top of the liner is double ply with the edge folded over a minimum of one-inch and holes are punched in the double ply area for hanging on a shower rod. Holes should be spaced at four to six inches on center and should be protected with metal grommets.

I focused on the bottom of the liner in an area nine-inches by six feet. This: area is to be called the Weighted Condition Area. At this location I propose placing flat steel washers in a pattern that will hold the liner in a slightly tensioned condition. Under this taut condition the liner will hang vertically straight down with washers pressing against the tub wall. With the shower on, the blowing action of the liner will be negated.

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1 and describes the Weighted Condition Area in more detail. The design shows three rows of flat steel washes to be attached to the liner on the outside (away from the shower spray) and spaced for the best effect at stabilizing the movement of the liner with shower in operation.

The bottom line of washers is the most important line of the design. Washers on this line should be a minimum of one and three quarters inches in diameter and approximately on tenth of an inch in thickness. Spacing the washers at six inches on center will hold the liner in a tension condition.

Middle line of washers can be reduced in size to one inch in diameter and a thickness of approximately one twelfth of an inch. Spacing of washers should be twelve inches on center.

Washers on the top line can be reduced in size to three quarters of an inch in diameter and have a thickness of approximately one sixteenth of an inch. Spacing should be eighteen inches on center.

Attaching the steel washers to the liner can be accomplished by using a round patch of the same vinyl material and heat sealing the pieces together with washer inside protected from any water that would cause rusting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

I decided that a blowing shower liner is an unacceptable condition. I became determined to alter the commonly known shower liner in such a way as to hold it in a stable condition while I was taking a shower.

An area at the bottom of the liner was where I focused my attention. My idea was to alter this area so that the entire liner would be anchored in a tension condition and would be firmly held in a non-blowing condition while I was showering. The dimensions of this area are nine inches by six feet. My alterations in this area are three rows of flat steel washers with the bottom row of washers being the most important. The bottom row should receive the largest washers and heaviest washers and the spacing should be a maximum of six inches on center. I discovered that a washer with diameter of one and three quarters inches works very well in the bottom row.

Middle row of washers can be smaller in diameter (one inch) and the spacing can be increased to twelve inches on center. Top row of washers can be reduced in diameter to three quarters of an inch and the spacing can be increased to eighteen inches on center.

When these conditions are met the liner will stand taut in a touch-me-not condition. 

1. I claim my idea of combining a vinyl shower liner with flat steel washers has created a taut liner that does not disturb the showering person. This design is unique to all known shower liners. 